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[zharkov]

Any suggestions of places to say in or near NYC (Manhattan)?  Nothing fancy, close to transit lines, safe, and $100 max (if possible, but I may be dreaming about that).  I'd be there a couple of days.

Thanks,
 
-Z

[anon1972]

Google Morningside Inn or Riverside Inn.  They have no-frills rooms (but are clean and safe) for under $100.

[schoolmarm]

I've stayed at the Y on 63rd (?) street between Central Park and Lincoln Center and it wasn't TOO bad. $42 per person if you have a roommate--this is with bunk beds and bathroom down the hall.  There is another Y over on the Eastside, too.  No tax, close to public transportation. There is a cafe with decent cheap food and you have full use of the gyms and pools.

Portland Square Hotel is right around the corner from the Times Square Visitors Center. You should be able to get in there for under $100 or right at $100.

There are some B and B's on the upper West side that are under $100 if you need to be in the Columbia area.

When I am in NYC, I am usually either researching or going to performances and don't spend much time in my room.  Thus, I go for the Y or some other cheap place.

Try www.hostelworld.com  or  www.bootsnall.com  or www.ratestogo.com   or www.hotelclub.com

[schoolmarm]

Forgot to add that the Y is about 75 or 80 per night if you get a single.

Manhattan is one place where it really does pay to try www.priceline.com  if you want a nice room.  I know lots of people who have ended up with great rooms at under $100 on priceline.

ALSO, try the Radio City Apartments.  I never book early enough for this. 

Does your university have a contract with www.clubquarters.com ?  They have apartments and rooms at reasonable rates.

Good luck with the search, and if you find a great buy please let me know!

[gastr1]

I haven't stayed here, but Frommer's thought well of it:
www.chelseainn.com
Also, there's the Chelsea Star; a friend did stay there and thought it ok, cheesiness notwithstanding. I ended up at Sohotel on recent trip with students. I would recommend it--basic but clean, great location-- but it's a little over $100. Also, it's in Chinatown, not Soho (didn't concern me, but i think they say Greenwich Village on the webite--ha.) www.sohotel-ny.com

[twofish]

There are some Super 8 motels in NYC.  The cheap ones are in Queens, but they are near subway lines so thats not too much of a problem.  When I'm taking the kids, the Super 8 in Time Square is nice.

[gesualdo]

This is way too late to be helpful this time, but you should try this question on the fora at tripso.com.  They're full of frequent travelers and travel agents who know you have no idea who they are, so they'll freely inundate you with information.

[twofish]

One other cheap place is the Hosteler International on the upper west side near Columbia.  One neat thing about that place is that you meet interesting people.

[cronopio]

Go to craigslist.org and see who is offering their apartments on the cheap. (look under vacation rentals or rentals, short term). Lots of people find this to be a good alternative.

Priceline is THE way to go if you limit the neighborhoods. I find the east side to have overall better quality than the west. If you can get a room in midtown east or upper east side for 125 a night, you are doing great, and it will be an ok room, I bet.

[magimax]

Along the same lines as Priceline is Hotwire (www.hotwire.com).  You pick the areas of town you want to consider, they show you possibilities with the name/address not included (which you get when you pay, of course).  The listings also include the amenities, so you know if the hotel will have a pool or gym or whatever.  I've had really good luck with them when it doesn't matter that I stay close to any particular address.

[anxiousdee1]

It's pretty cheap at my house.  I'll feed you and provide a bed for 75 bucks a night.  I'm kidding, of course, but in that same spirit, I'd recommend you look into some of the hostel options in the city which, while still fairly expensive, provide at least an interesting atmosphere and usually clean linens.

Anything cheap in NYC is going to be terribly tiny and the bath towels will be both the size and texture of a piece of sandpaper.

[essere_due]

the upper west side near Columbia.
----------
Yes, in that area, you can find some newly furnished hostels.
lower than 100 bucks. \

How do you book them?
Try orbitz.com, or travelocity.com
(travelocity.com is more and more unreliable, in terms of price)

I have been surprized how squeaky-clean some of these hostels are. Yes, you need to share the bathroom with people on the same floor, but the bathroom/showerroom is crazily clean. The bedroom is very boring, but what can you expect from 89.99.

I find such hostels, with their clean showerrooms, offer terrible soaps, or no soaps at all. Have some good soaps with you.
 

[essere_due]

https://secure7.e-insites.com/chelseahostel/reservationscreate.aspx

This is popular among Japanese and European college students in their 10s, 20s, 30s. Well, dont fancy that you can pick up any of them. They are as busy as academics in the 40s, 50s, 60s.

[magimax]

<snip>
 The bedroom is very boring, but what can you expect from 89.99.

Well!  Where I come from, $89.99 will get you: a king size bed with fluffy pillows, silk sheets, and your choice of hard or soft mattress; an open bar stocked with the choicest of alcoholic and sweet/savory treats; every TV channel in the world; room service delivered within 5 minutes and of course free; spa visits and in-room massages (again, free!); empty rooms on all sides of your own room; ginormous bathtub with massage jets and luxury soaps, lotions and potions; and valet parking included.

There are some benefits to living in fly-over country.  ;-)

[kcl060]

http://www.key-res.com/reserve.php

The website above is for a hotel called the pod.  It caters to young college students and it seems to be pretty cool.  I don't know how they afford to do it, but it's clean, has modern decorations, includes an lcd tv, an i-pod docking station, shower radio, and an in-room signal to let you know which of the shared bathrooms are unoccupied.  I haven't been, but it seems cool and it got good ratings.  Be sure to calculate the taxes.  If you're traveling with someone else and do the bunk bed room then it's a little under $100 a night.